Shop in high heels to control overspending

Consumers experiencing a heightened sense of balance are more likely to weigh the options, according to a study.

WASHINGTON: Women who tend to splurge on shopping should wear high heels to curb the habit of overspending, according to a study.

A study by the Brigham Young University has found that consumers experiencing a heightened sense of balance are more likely to weigh the options and go with a product that falls in the middle of the high-end, low-end scale.

"If you're someone who tends to overspend, or you're kind of an extreme person, then maybe you ought to consider shopping in high heels," said study author Jeffrey Larson, a marketing professor at the university.

Larson and co-author Darron Billeter discovered that anything that forces your mind to focus on balance affects your shopping choices as well, Science Daily reported.

The results of the study show that influential cognitive processes are at play as people stumble through life, regardless of whether those stumblings are literal or metaphorical, the authors said.